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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
#@@¤§*\=~¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨~=\*§¤@@#
@@¤§*\=~¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨~=\*§¤@@
@¤§*\=~¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨~=\*§¤@
¤§*\=~¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨~=\*§¤
§*\=~¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨~=\*§
*\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\*
\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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